1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer security, and more particularly but not exclusively to methods and apparatus for diagnosis and repair of computers.
2. Description of the Background Art
Computers are employed not just for work but also for personal use. While organizations may have dedicated staff for repairing malfunctioning computers, individual users typically have to fix computers on their own. Therein lies the problem because computers have become so complicated that their repair is beyond the capability of most users.
Computer malfunctions may be hardware or software related. Software-related problems are commonplace because users continually install new software in their computers. Exacerbating this problem is the numerous updates released by software vendors. Examples of these updates include computer virus signature updates employed by antivirus programs, and updates to the operating system and application software to correct bugs, add features, or address a security issue. An improperly installed or defective update may result in corrupted or deleted files that make the computer unstable. Files may also be corrupted by malfunctioning hardware or unexpected environmental events, such as inadvertent power downs or power glitches.
Software vendors do their best to provide user-friendly recovery procedures. Unfortunately, some users, especially home users, do not have adequate computer knowledge to perform even relatively simple recovery procedures. Other software vendors provide restore CD/DVD media for restoring a computer to its initial state, i.e., as purchased by the user. These restore media are not only difficult to use, but also become obsolete as soon as the vendor releases new updates. Other recovery procedures overwrite the whole system that may remove important data linkages. While an advanced user may be able to fix broken or lost data linkages, most users will have great difficulty doing so.